Apparatus foe loading heel molds with washebs



G. R. PRESCOTT APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEEL MoLDs WITH wAsHERs Filed March 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l lnvemor. George H Preston byywmam Jan. la

G. R. PREscoTT APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEEL MOLDS WITH WASHERS Filed March 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenor. Geofge F. Fre scor Ays.

Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT orifice.

GEORGE R. PRESCOTT, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEEL MOLDS WITH WASHERS.

Application filed 'March 2, 1923. Serial No. 622,370.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Grnoncni` R. Pnnsoo'ri, a citizen of the United States. and resident of Somerville, county oit Middlesex, State of Massachusetts7 have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Loading Heel Molds with Washers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to an. apparatus designed for automatically loading with washers molds which are usedv in forming rubber heels randone of the objects of the invention is to provide a gang washer-loading device by which the' washers may loaded into a plurality of heel molds at each operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved washer-loading apparatus which is provided 'with ways to receive the heel mold and which is constructed so that when the heel mold is moved therealong into a predetermined position the washers will be automatically delivered into the mold. With my apparatus, therefore7 the operation of loading the washers into the various molds of a gang mold involves simply the operation of placing the gang mold in the guideways and then moving the mold along the guideways into the predetern'iined position.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a selected embodiment of my invention and the novel features of the invention will then be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an apparatus embodying myinvention and showing the parts in position for delivering the washers .into the heel mold;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the parts in norm-al position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a gang heel mold; y

Fig. 4f is a. section on the line 4 4, Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line :7M-5, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of the transfer plate; i

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7--7,-Fig'.- 4;.

It is customary to provide the mold cavity of a heel mold with washer-supporting vpins that have a spaced relation corresponding to the position which the washers are in the completed heel, said pins being provided with shoulders to support the washers.

The mold cavity having said pins therein is indicated at l, the washer-supporting pins being shown at 2. The embodiment of the invention herein shown is designed to load washers into a gang mold such as shown in Fig. 3 in which the mold member 3 is provided with a plurality of mold cavities l, each having the washer-supporting pins 2 therein.

The device is also of that type in which the Washers are delivered to the pins through apertures in a delivery plate which have the same spaced relation as lthat of the pins 2 and in which the washers are delivered to the apertures of the delivery plate by means of a transfer plate also having apertures similarly spaced, the transfer" plate being movable relative to the delivery plate so as to bring the apertures in the two plates alternately into and out of register.

In the present embodiment the working parts of the apparatus are enclosed in a suitable housing or casing 4 which is provided witha hopper or receptacle 5 into which Ithe washers are placed and which is also provided with a chamber or guideway 6 into which the gang mold 3 may be inserted as shown in Fig. l, said chamber being open at one end as shown at 7 to permit the gang mold to be inserted or withdrawn.

Means are provided whereby each time that the gang mold is inserted into the chamber or guideway 6 the washers will be automatically deposited on the pins 2 in each mold cavity thereby loading washers in all ot the mold cavities oitl the gang mold simultaneously, the washers being thus delivered tothe mold cavities through the operation ot' a transfer plate and delivery plate as above stated. The delivery plate is shown at 8 and it has a fixed position immediately above the chamber 6 so that when the mold member 3 is inserted into the chamber 6 the plate 8 will engage the top thereof. This delivery plate 8 has a plurality of washer-delivering apertures S) that are arranged in groups, the groups having the same spaced relation as the mold cavities l and the apertures of each group having the same spaced relation as the pins 2 in the mold cavities. Y

filo i Situated directly above the delivery plate 8 is a transfer plate 1() also having groups of apertures 11 therein, the groups having the same spaced relation as the cavities 1 and the apertures in the group having the same spaced relation as the pins in thc cavities. The transfer plate is movable relative to the delivery plate so as to bring the washer-receiving apertures 11 therein into and out of register with the apertures 9 in the delivery plate. The transfer plate normally occupies a position with its apertures 11 out of alignment with the apertures 9 as shown in Fig. 2 and means are provided whereby when the mold member 3 is inserted into the guideway 6 the transfer plate is moved to bring its apertures into alignment with the apertures 9 just at the time the mold arrives at a position where its pins 2 are directly beneath the apertures 9 as shown in Fig. 1.

Means are provided for filling the apertures 11 with individual washers and, therefore, when the transfer plate is moved into the position shown in Fig. 1 thereby to bring the apertures 9 and 11 into alignment the Washers which are in the apertures 11 will gravitate through the apertures 9 and be dcposited on the pins 2 which are directly beneath the aligned apertures.

This loading of the apertures 11 is accomplished through the operation of a feed plate 12 which is situated directly above the transfer plate and forms the bottom of the hopper 5. The feed pla-te 12 also has groups of apertures 13 therein having the same spaced relation as the apertures in the other plates. Said plate 12 is preferably thicker than the other plates and may have a thickness equal to two or three washers. rThis feed plate 12 is mounted for reciprocating movement and as it reciprocates some of the washers in the hopper which are resting on the feed plate will be deposited in the apertures 15 and these washers will be transferred to the apertures 11 in the transfer plate when the apertures in the transfer plate and feed plate come into alignment.

Means are provided whereby the feed plate and the transfer plate move simultaneously but oppositely and for this purpose the transfer plate is provided at one end with a depending arm 14 which is connected by a linlr 15 to a lever 16 that is mounted on a rock shaft 1'? that extends across the housing 4 and the ends 30 of which occupy vertical grooves 31 formed in the walls of the housing. The rock shaft 7 normally rests on the bottom of the groove 31 and it is retained in this position by a pivoted button 32. The upper end of this lever 16 is connected by a link 1S with an arm 19 upstanding from the feed plate 12.

The arm 19 is shown as acted on by pulling spring 2O which normally retains the parts in the relative position shown in Fig. 2. lWhen in this position the apertures 9 and 11 are out of alignment as above stated.

lilith this arrangement it will be observed that when the transfer plate 10 is moved the lever 1G will be rocked thereby giving movement to the feed plate 12 and during this movement the apertures 13 are brought into alignment with the apertures 11 so that the lower washers in each of the apertures 13 will gravitate into the apertures 11. Furthermore the movement of the transfer plate to the left 2 or into the position shown in Fig. 1 brings the apertures 11 therein into alignment with the apertures 9 of the delivery plate so that the washers which have been delivered to the transfer plate by the feed plate are thus carried into position to be delivered through the delivery plate.

This movement of the transfer plate and feed plate is accomplished by the action of inserting a gang mold into the guideway 6. As the mold is inserted the end thereof engages the arm 14 and a further movement of the mold after it has engaged the arm 14 will operate through said arm to move the transfer plate from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 thus bringing the apertures 11 of the transfer plate into register with the apertures 9 of the delivery plate, so that the washers which are in the apertures of the transfer plate will be deposited through the apertures 11 of the delivery plate onto the pins 2, which are at this time situated directly beneath the apertures 11, as shown in Fig. 1.

@wing to the connection between the two plates 10 and 12 it will be understood that when the transfer plate 10 moves inwardly into the position shown in Fig. 1 the feed plate 12 will be given a sin'iult-aneous movement in the opposite direction, and that when the gang mold has been withdrawn the spring 20 will operate to move both plates back into the position shown in Fig. 2. rlhis reciprocating movement of the plate 12 causes washers to be deposited in the apertures 13 and these apertures 13 are so arranged that they come into alignment with the apertures 11 either when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 or during the above-described relative movement of the plates, and when they are thus in alignment the bottom washer in the apertures 13 will gravitate into the apertures 11 thus loading said plate 10.

The parts are so arranged that the arm 19 functions as a stop to limit the inward movement of the transfer plate 10, for when the transfer plate has been carried into a posit-ion to bring its apertures in alignment with the apertures 9 of the delivery plate the arm 19 will be brought up against a stop 34. The. operation of loading the gang mold, therefore, involves simply inserting vthe mold into the guideway 6 and bringing desired, provide the feed plate 1'2 with du-.

plicate sets of apertures, the apertures of the second set being indicated at 23. These apertures 23 are situated closely adjacent the apertures 13 and are so arranged that at each movement of the transfer plate `each aperture 11 therein will pass under two apertures in the feed plate, this providing two chances for loading the transfer plate.

It will be seen from thefabove that the different gang molds 3 can be loaded with washers as rapidly as they can be inserted into the guideways and withdrawn, fori the washer-loading operation involves merely inserting the gang mold into the guideway 6 and forcing it back in the guideway as far as it will go and then withdrawing it.

In order to' provide for loading heel molds of different sizes I propose to make the transfer plate and feed plate and delivery plate removable so that they may be replaced by other plates having a proper spacing of apertures for smaller or larger heels.

The three plates 12, 10 and 8 are supported in position in grooves 37 formed in the sides of the housing 4 and in order that the feed plate 12 and transfer plate 10 may move freely I propose to form the delivery plate 8 with an upturned flange 38 at each edge so that the movable plates 12 and 10` will bear against said flanges. This enables the plates to move freely and prevents binding. The removing of the plates 12, 10 and 8 is provided for by making the back end 35 of the housing removable, said end being herein shown as hinged to the housing as shown at 36 so that it may be swung down into horizontal position. Before this is done the spring 2O` will be disconnected from the end 35. The connect-ion between the links 15 and 18 and the lever 16 is also a separable connection and by disconnecting these links from the lever 16 and then raising the shaft 17 in the groove 31 the feed plate, transfer plate and delivery plate can be readily removed through the baclr of the housing since the groove 37 extends the full length of the housing. The pi'voted button 32 permits the shaft 17 to be raised, for by swinging this button into the dotted line position Fig. it releases the shaft 17 so that the latter can be lifted up out of the way of the plates.

My device, therefore, not only provides means whereby a gang mold may be loaded with. washers at one operation but also provides means whereby the heel mold of different sizes can be loaded.

While I have illustrated a gang mold having six mold cavities yet it will be understood that the number of cavities in each gang mold may be varied without. in any way affecting the invention.

The. invention is also capable of being embodied in a loading device adapte-d to fill a single mold cavity only, in which case the delivery plate, transfer plate and feed plate would each have only one group of apertures.

I claim.

1. In a device for loading washers into heel molds, the combination with a hopper to hold the washers, of a feed plate forming the bottom of the hopper and provided with washer-receiving apertures having the same spaced relation as the washer-supporting pins in the heel mold, a fixed delivery plate situated beneath the feed plate and having washer-delivering apertures similarly spaced, a transfer plate also having similarly spaced washer-receiving apertures interposed between the feed plate and the delivery plate, said feed plate and transfer plate being movable, and means operated by the placing of a heel mold beneath the delivery plate to shift the transfer plate from a position in which its apertures are in alignment with those of the feed plate to a position in which the apertures are in alignment with those of the delivery plate.

2. In a device for loading washers into heel molds, the combination with a hopper to hold the washers, of a feed plate forming the bottom of the hopper and provided with washer-receiving apertures having the same spaced relation as the washer-supporting pins in the heel mold, a fixed delivery plate situated beneath the feed plate and having washer-delivering apertures similarly spaced, a transfer plate also having similarly spaced washer-receiving apertures interposed between the feed plate and the delivery p-late, said feed plate and transfer plate being movable.

3. In a device for leading washers into the heel cavities of a gang heel mold, the combination with Aa hopper to receive washers, of a delivery plate provided with groups of apertures having the same spaced relation as the mold cavities in the gang mold with the apertures of each group having the same spaced relation as the washerreceiving pins in the mold, a guideway beneath the delivery plate adapted to slidingly receive the gang mold, and means operated by the movement of the mold in said guideway into` af position with the washer-supporting pins therein in alignment with the apertures of the delivery plate to deliver washers through said apertures onto said pins.

11. In a device for loading washers into the heel cavities of a heel mold, the combination with a hopper to receive washers loosely, of a delivery plate provided with .All

apertures having` the same spaced relation as the Washer-receiving` pins of the heel mold, a mold-receiving guideway beneath the plate, and means operated by the insertion of the plate in said guideway into a position with its pins in alignment With the apertures of the delivery plate to deliver Washers from said hopper through said apertures onto the pins.

5. ln a device for loading washers into heel molds` the combination With a hopper to hold the i 7ushers, of feed plate forming the bottom of the hopper and provided With Washer-receiving apertures having the same spaced relation as the Washer-supporting pins in the heel mold, a fixed delivery plate situated beneath the feed plate and having Washerdelivering apertures similarly spaced, a transfer plate also having similarly spaced Washer-receiving apertures interposed between the feed plate and the delivery plate, said feed plate and transfer plate beingmovable relative to each other and also being' removable., and means operated by the placing of a heel mold beneath the delivery plate to shift the transfer plate from a position in which its apertures are in alignment- With those of the feed plate to a position in Which 'the apertures are in alignment With those of the delivery plate.

6. ln a device for loading Washers into heel molds, the combination with a hopper to hold the Washers, of a feed plate forming the bottom of the hopper and provided with Washer receiving apertures having the same spaced relation as the Washer-supporting pins in the heel mold, a fixed delivery plate situated beneath the feed plate and having similarly-spaced Washer-delivering apertures, a transfer plate also having similarlyspaced Washer-receiving apertures interposed between the feed plate and the delivery plate, said feed plate and transfer plate being movable relative to each other, and means operated by the placing` of a heel mold beneath the delivery plate to shift the transfer plate from a position in Which its apertures are in alignment With those of the feed plate to a position in which its apertures are in alignment With those of the delivery plate, all of said plates being removable, whereby plates adapted for different sizes of heels can be used.

In testimony whereof, have signed my l name to this specification.

GEORGE R. PRESCOTT. 

